chestnut

The program aims to:

  • protection of horse chestnut trees – by reducing the population of horse chestnut moth,
  • enrichment of the fauna surrounding the areas covered by the action,
  • building awareness among participants of the responsibility for the surrounding environment – surroundings, schools, housing estates, the city
  • activation of individual groups to achieve their common goals.

On March 13 and 14, 2012, employees of the Ecological Foundation “Silesia” in Katowice conducted workshops and large hanging nest boxes together with students of the following schools:

  • I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. L. Kruczkowski, ul. Korczak 6, 43-100 Tychy
  • STO Junior High School, ul. Edukacji 11 a, 43-100 Tychy
  • Primary School No. 3, ul. Wojska Polskiego 10, 43-100 Tychy
  • Junior High School No. 1, ul. Brzozowa 24, 43-100 Tychy

During the theoretical classes, all participants of the action:

  • Have they found out what the trees in the city are for?
  • They got to know the structure and characteristics of the white horse chestnut
  • They found out what horse chestnut horse moss is
  • They also learned how to control the pest

During the classes, in addition to students and teachers, we had the pleasure to host representatives from the Department of Municipal Environmental Protection and Agriculture of the City Hall in Tychy. We hosted Mrs. Katarzyna Siwiorek and Mr. Henryk Oziembała. Representatives of the Office not only closely watched our actions but also actively participated in the implementation of subsequent tasks under the action.

 

After the theoretical classes, students, employees of the Foundation, and inspectors of the City Hall went to hang breeding boxes for tits and rake leaves. The hanging took place in two locations – Niedźwiadków Park and Górniczy Park in Tychy.

In total, we hung 20 boxes and rake the leaves leftover from the winter period. To ensure safety when hanging the boxes, we asked firefighters from the Municipal Headquarters of the State Fire Service in Tychy for help.

The action was a complete success – now thanks to the materials provided, the students can continue to protect the chestnut trees on their own.

Schools received from the Foundation:

  • Nesting boxes – now suspended in parks, they are waiting for new household members
  • Rake – help to remove horse chestnut leaves infected with sycamore
  • Bags on the list – raking is not everything, the leaves must be collected and handed over to the appropriate authorities for disposal
  • Information materials – small leaflets that we can use as bookmarks, distributed among students will help to consolidate knowledge
  • Chronicle of bird observation – we are counting on the members of the booths, therefore it is necessary to carefully observe and take care of the hung booths